______________________________________________________________________________
/
// The\kyway \\
/
skyway@novia.net
Issue #40
August 30th, 1996
______________________________________________________________________________
(c) 1996 Bastards of Young (BOY/BetaOmegaYamma) Productions
list manager: Matthew Tomich (matt@novia.net)
technical consultant and thanks to: Bob Fulkerson of Novia Networking
______________________________________________________________________________
SKYWAY SUBSCRIPTION/LISTSERVER INFORMATION
Send all listserver commands in the body of a letter to "majordomo@novia.net"
To subscribe to the //Skyway\\: subscribe skyway
To unsubscribe from the //Skyway\\: unsubscribe skyway
THE //SKYWAY\\ WEB PAGE
Check here for back issues, lyrics, discography, and other files.
http://www.novia.net/~matt/sky/skyway.html
______________________________________________________________________________
Send submissions to: skyway@novia.net
______________________________________________________________________________
0. Camp = done. (Matt Tomich)
I. New Confessions
A. Marc Reiter
B. Edward Stephan
C. Mitch Harris
D. Gary Wells
E. Tommy Przybylinski
F. Kerry Schauber
G. Dave Bloom
H. Johnny "Junior Mint"
I. Eric Phillips
J. Daniel Contreras
K. Nick
II. Westerbergian Information
A. Album reviews
1. Waikato Times, Metro, Rip It Up (Susy Thomas)
2. Real Groove (Phil Clayton)
3. BAM (Richard Esquivil)
B. Interview: CityBeat (Wri10@aol.com)
III. Perfect Information
A. Reviews: Melody Maker (Graham Stroud)
B. En concierto!
1. Phoenix (Mitch Harris)
2. Hoboken (Patrick)
3. Indianapolis (Bard)
C. "Guess what? I just got back from the hospital..." (RWG)
IV. Reasons for Celebration
A. 'Mats marriage kid born! (Lori Dolequist)
B. New York post-throw down report (Ron Egatz)
V. Miscellaneous hootin's and hollerin's
A. Unsatisfied contemplation (Bard)
B. Hilarious 'Mats comic strip! (Troy McClure)
C. 'Mats-like band in CA (Adam Gimbel)
D. Replacements vs. The Kinks comparisions (Matt Tomich)
E. Marriage proposal (Heather Chakiris)
VI. Concert tapes and all that jazz
A. 'Mats B-sides wanted (Renee Esquivil)
B. Love Untold single/Eventually piano music wanted (Jeff Lake)
C. New Westerberg (Kevin)
D. Looking for live shows (Sumant Ranji)
E. Update on the 'Mats Rarities Web Page (Mike Monello)
(Thanks to Duncan DeGraffenreid for echoing some of the alt.music.replacements
posts found here.)
______________________________________________________________________________
0. I'm back! (But to where?)
Hey! I'm back from camp and now in Chapel Hill crashing at a friend's
pad while looking for a place to live and a job. It's a bit of a circular
problem trying to figure out which one to get first...
Camp was stupendous fun. For the most part, I ran around with a videocamera
and made silly movies with teenagers like a kung-fu flick, a camp version of
COPS, and a parody of those surreal French impressionist flicks. However,
my previously planned leisurely stroll down the East Coast back to Dixie
was cut short in order to return to get to North Carolina to get my earthly
possessions out of extremely temporary storage. I apologize to those who I
had to cancel plans with in Boston, New York, New Jersey, and Baltimore, but
I will stop by on my next trip up the East Coast! And thanks to everybody
in D.C. who I got to meet during my brief stop!
Two things real quick:
** "Where are all the concert reviews?"
Beacuse of the demand for 'smaller' issues, this issue is being
mailed in two parts. This is the first part. The second part
will be mailed out next week and consists of all the concert
reviews that I've been sent since the last issue...almost 28!
** Updated FANS HIT BACK II information is now on the web site!
If you submitted something to Mark Timmins (mrtimmins@aol.com)
for this project, please check out this update! (Feel free to
check out the new counter and working guest book while you're
at it!)
You can access the note directly at:
http://www.novia.net/~matt/sky/fans2.txt
It was great meeting many of the East Coast Skywayers this summer! Plans are
still in the works for a Swinging Party '96...once I get a pad to throw a
fiesta in.
!Hasta luego!
M@
P.S. Congrats Ranjit and Anne!
______________________________________________________________________________
I. NEW FACES
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 17:17:54 -0500
From: Daniel Contreras
Hi Matt, hi everyone,
Matt, thanks for a great list and website, your efforts are appreciated.
Well, you asked for a sort of guts-spilling introductory note, so here's
mine.
I am a 29 year old Mechanical Engineer from Robbinsdale, MN. I live in
St. Louis Park and work in Eden Prairie. I am a relatively recent
Replacements/Westerberg fan. During the Mats heyday, I was musically
clueless and inept - there just is no nice way to put it. During the
'80's and early '90's, I listened to whatever MTV and Top 40 radio crammed
into my throat. I actually purchased and enjoyed Poison albums. (somebody
shoot me) I wasn't totally hopeless, though, I also liked music by Janis
Joplin, Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Carlos Santana and Muddy Waters,
among others, these influences coming mostly from my father's stuff.
A few years ago, I began to awaken from my lifelong stupor. I tired of top
40 & MTV and I really tired of 'Classic Rock' - those of you who are
familiar with KQRS in Minnesota know what I mean. I began to listen to
those low-power, 'alternative' stations, and I liked them - I wanted more.
Bands like The Violent Femmes, The Suburbs, and REM started to catch my
attention. I remember thinking "These bands have been around for years! -
What the hell have I been doing?" Of course, I had heard of the Mats, but
I could not have named a song ("I'll Be You" doesn't count) or a bandmember.
There is a station in town (Mpls) called Revolution Radio that I started
to listen to and I heard a song that I had never heard, but I just really
dug - I didn't know the name or the band - just part of the chorus "I'm in
love/What's that song?" I thought it was a new song! (This was 1994) I
finally asked someone "Who is that?" and they of course replied "The
Replacements, you idiot!" I nodded like I knew what was going on. That
started happening with a few other tunes. I would hear a song, dig the
bejeezus out of it, only to find it was the Mats. Color Me Impressed and
Unsatisfied come to mind. I bought Pleased to Meet Me, because that had
my "new" favorite tune, Alex Chilton. I immediately fell in love with the
album, and another Mats fan was born. I then raided my younger brother's
collection of all his Mats stuff and bought what he didn't have. I think
I like Tim best of all, but "Let It Be" is right up there. I even bought
"Stink" and "Sorry Ma" - which I enjoy listening to, especially to watch
the band's progression of talent and songwriting. What was kind of funny
was that Damon, my younger bro, had tried to convince me to listen to
stuff like the Mats and Soul Asylum when we were younger, but I blew him
off. I now know it was a HUGE mistake to dismiss him. Anyhow, I did a
search on the net for mats stuff a while ago and came across Matt's site -
it is the finest on the net, and I tell anyone who will listen. That
brings us to today.
I am eagerly awaiting Paul's concert at the State Theatre on the 6th, as
I never got to see the Mats live. A friend of mine was first in line
and got front and center tickets!
Oh yeah, last Friday, Aug 23, I saw Slim Dunlap at Lee's Lounge in Mpls on
Friday night - the place is as small as it sounds. It was a super cool
show! I listened to his CD before I went, it is mostly Blues Rock n' Roll,
very Stonesish, and really good. His first set was mostly covers of old
country tunes (Lonesome Mind, On the Bayou) which he did well, and the
second set was his stuff. He also asked for people from the crowd who have
never played guitar to come up and bang on an axe "...to show how easy it
is!" He was fun, answering screamed out requests with "You got it, man!"
and busting into the requested song while his bandmates tried to catch up.
The one thing that blew my mind about the show was trying to picture this
awesome blues - rock guitarist playing lead for "I'll Be You" and "Talent
Show." But, he was in one of the best rock bands ever and probably made
the best dough of his career in those days. Just an update on a very cool
ex-Mat.
Thanks for letting me vent, we'll talk to you soon.
If anyone has any Mats video or bootleg tapes they would like to sell or
trade, I am one willing customer.
--
See ya
Dan Contreras
danc@transition.com
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 96 19:41:12 +0100
From: Anna
Hi my name is Nick and I live in London. Its time to spill my guts and
fess up Westerberg style. I discovered Westerberg when PTMM came out. By
the time DTAS turned up I knew I'd found a real friend. The disaffection,
the mix of melancholy and volume, sadness and recklessness. The back
catalogue was quickly bought up and I was addicted. He really meant it. I
felt isolated, at odds with everything/everyone and so did he. The one
that did it was All Shook which I'd still rate as the best ever made. It
might just as well be the inside of my head. The first time I heard it,
the day it came out, I remember sitting down with a bottle of wine and my
cigarettes and literally shaking to hear something so real. Merry Go Round
is the story of my life - I really believe Paul is a genius. Misunderstood
as all of us are. The whole mood behind that record is me. I listened to it
over and over, just as most normal people might have called a friend. I
love the way you can hear someone trying not to grow up. It also helped me
through some difficult eras or years I should say. Paul said in some
thing I read that he was afraid of death and equally afraid of life.
Couldnt put it better myself. I met him, Tommy and Slim at the Marquee
Club in London in 1991 where I saw both shows. Paul looked uneasy but
signed my cigarette box. They blew the roof off on night #1 but something
was wrong on night #2-Tommy was drinking all afternoon and Slim said there
was something wrong with Paul. The show was flawed but brilliant with a
heartbreaking Here Comes A Regular. I met Paul again briefly in 1993 when
I saw him play twice in London. The first was his second solo show and the
band improvised Swingin' Party which was so understated and perfect. The
second show didn't sell well and was a few months later. He didn't sing the
opening song (mannequin) until two verses in. His mood had gone sour but
the show was great. I'm really pleased he stopped drinking - I can't stand
these people who say they'd wish he'd start again. They obviously don't
understand what he went through. Quitting alcohol is a major life change
and tough to survive. I hope and know he'll stay sober until he's 90 years
old. Glad to hear he quit the cigarettes too. Eventually is a great record
once you understand it - I've given it maybe a hundred listens now and its
grown to be really strong. He's always written a certain way and most
listeners don't get it because they don't persevere. I think Angel's Walk,
Time Flies Tomorrow, and Good Day are three of his best songs to date. I saw
Perfect in July, who are great live but average on record. Tommy was still
drinking and playing the part. He needs to slow down or he'll follow Bob.
My ten favourite songs would be They're Blind, Rock n' Roll Ghost, Nightclub
Jitters, Even Here We Are, Good Day, Sadly Beautiful, The Last,
Unsatisfied, Here Comes a Regular and Skyway. Guess I'm a fan of the mushy
ones. They really get to me. The Last had added significance when I quit
drinking in October 1994: the last ones always/gonna last for always.
Westerberg is rock n' roll to me, he's also the person who saved my life.
Literally. He was there for me when I needed him. He's the greatest! Don't
ever forget it. "I'm not as self conscious as I used to be. Thinking of
alcohol as the answer to the problem...when you look at it in the clear
light of day it IS the problem. Eliminate that and the problem
shrinks." (Rolling Stone, 24.6.93)
Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 14:37:31 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mark C Reiter
Subject: Yet another 'Mats junkie tells all
Skyway,
I'll be really brief with my 'Mats story, it's very similar to just about
everyone's here. My friend Brian and I were on a road trip in late '89. He
brought a copy of Let It Be and snuck it into my tape deck between my
playings of pre-"Alternative" dreck. The tape happened to be cued to "Black
Diamond" and all I could think was, "damn, this sucks." I shot Brian a
glance and rolled my eyes and he just laughed. By the time the tape cycled
back to "I Will Dare", I was hooked. So, a flurry of CD purchases followed
and my obsession with Minneapolis' finest began. I saw the boys twice,
once as headliners on the All Shook Down tour and again as an opening act
for Elvis Costello.
When 14 Songs came out and Paul toured, he stopped at University
of Maryland. After the show, I hung out by the bus just to catch a glimpse
and maybe give my thanks. He emerged from the hall and several people made
grabs for the cigarette in his mouth and pulled at his jacket. I don't
think I've ever seen a more profound look of fear and confusion on
someone's face. He was terrified by the over-zealous attention. Still, he
emerged from the bus about 15 minutes later to sign autographs and chat. I
was dead last in the line and as I approached him, I couldn't find any
words. All the emotion, energy and inspiration that Paul's music had
fueled in me caught up with me as I stood facing him. I tried to get out
some kind of coherent sentence... nope. Seeing my difficulty (how couldn't
he? I looked like an idiot) he extended his hand and said:
"What's your name?"
"Mark"
"Mark, I'm Paul."
(long pause)
"I just wanted to say thanks and...." (unable to finish sentence)
"Cool enough... Cool enough."
And he looked at me like he got it, like he knew what it was like to be a
teen-ager facing your rock hero and falling to pieces. There's, of course,
no way he remembers me, but during that brief encounter I was convinced that
beyond the rock star bullshit and the huge gulf between performer and audience
he knew that I felt that he was a genuine artist. I felt like I got out of
"The Ledge", "Sixteen Blue", "Left of the Dial" and on and on exactly what I
was supposed to. Does that make any sense?
Anyway, other stuff I like...who cares?
Wait... I WOULD like bootlegs. If anybody would be willing to sell or
trade or whatever I would be extremely happy. Thanks!
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 00:25:06 GMT
From: Edward Stephan
I remember many years ago browsing the record bins in the local record
store. I would start with the A's and continue thru the alphabet looking
for anything interesting to try. Flipping through the "R"s I saw an album
with the name "Let It Be"! I thought to myself (being a big Beatles fan
at the time), how could another artist have the audaciousness to name
their album Let It Be! That title was reserved for the Fab Four!
Needless to say, like a big dummy, I didn't buy that Replacements album
that day, in fact, it was a couple of years after that when I bought my
first Replacements disk (which one escapes me at this time). Now my
collection contains pretty much all of their records, seeing as they are
one of my favorite groups. But I'm still missing one, that being Let It
Be! For some unknown reason, I've never picked it up despite every review
calling it their best. Well, at least I have that pleasure ahead of me!
I'm just a tad over forty, and have been collecting records now for
over twenty-five years. My collection numbers close to 2000 titles most
of the rock vein. In all these years, I would have to say the following
five groups have probably given me the most enjoyment, meant the most to
me at different times in my life, and are the records to this day I enjoy
the most: (Not in any particular order) The Smiths, The Ramones, The
Replacements, The Kinks, and The Beatles.
I enjoy the Skyway immensely and thank the publisher for the time spent
compiling it. Best to all of you....ED
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 13:27:22 +0000
From: Mitch Harris
Subject: Hi, I'm Mitch Harris...and I'm a Mats fan.
Dear Skyway,
I wrote my real 'obligatory first' about three months ago but didn't
send it because I was real lazy, so I'm going to go through, rehash, and
send it. I also have a review of Perfect I'm going to throw up separately
which should include everything else.
Tuesday, March 19, 1996 (originally)
Well, I was about to reply to one of your letters when my day was
spoiled again by my roommate (It's 9:04 am -- that's talent). He started
by walking into the shower five minutes before I was going to get up,
which left me staring at the ceiling and unshowered for Physics 112. Yay.
It's a 200 person class and I don't know who I'm trying to impress, but If
I actually get up an hour before class I'd like to at least shower, so I
was pretty pissed. Then he decided, since we're all up, to blast Blind
Melon. Again. I didn't like the band when I first heard 'em several years
back. I may have been amused (bemused, same thing), but after the thirtieth
time this week, I can safely say, I hate 'em. You hear them right after you
get up, without so much as a shower, and they stick in your skull like no
other band. It's sick, it's cruel, and mostly, it's unfunny.
I live in a trailer (it's not a permanent thing, believe me) off of
Route 66 in Flagstaff, AZ, and over this last weekend I spent (I can't believe
this) over 50 consecutive hours without venturing further than the porch. I
just didn't feel like leaving. That's one thing (of many) I like about the
Replacements. They're pathetic. I mean that in the best possible way. I
relate to them. Here Comes A Regular is honest about life. It doesn't
animate a sad life with orange hair and cheesy chords. I used to live at
home, now I stay in the house. It's so true.
Now let me tell you something else about this Blind Melon roommate,
as it's impossible to talk about anything else. He watches TV really loud
24/7 (when he's not listening to shitty music). He could be asleep at 3 in
the morning, but if you turn the TV off, he says he's watching it, snaps it
back on, and promptly passes out. He seems quite content with living a life
so obviously sad, and that's fine with me. I just wish he liked it somewhere
else. Like Utah. But that only leads me to another thing I like about the
Replacements. The fans.
Now I'm making a generalization here. I'm sure a whole bunch of you
guys have had horrible experiences with people who call themselves 'Mats
fans', but I'm not talking about those people, I'm talking about you people.
You guys, I gather, know what it's like, a little at least, to feel
ineffectual. You relate. That's a lot coming from a guy who used to listen
to Depeche Mode and The Cure. Those guys had no shame in their depressions.
They fucking loved it.
Well, I've got to get to class in a couple of minutes, but let me just
tell you this last bit, then I'll send this off. I used to spend hours at
record stores. Book stores and record stores. Anyhow, I was with a friend
in a record store back in '90 who got a little irritated at my leisure.
"For god's sake Mitch, we've been in here for a fucking hour already,
just get an album and so we can get out."
Fair enough. I grabbed the closest album to me. All Shook Down. I
walked out staring at this album I haven't really heard anything off of. I
started listening to it on a rainy day when I lived in Phoenix (rare, but
fitting for the album). I loved it. Other albums followed rapidly. Pleased
to Meet Me, Tim, Sorry Ma, Don't Tell A Soul, Hootenanny (my favorite), Let It
Be (I love this one too, but it reminds me of my only good relationship,
which, if I have to be reminded of it, obviously wasn't that good), and a
couple of live clips. I've got a friend I turned on to the Replacements in
'92, and he's got every release and Inconcerated, the Shit Hits The Fans, and
a bootleg from somewhere, which sucks, because I haven't been able to find
one.
Well, Physics beckons. Sorry I had to write you about the Mats when
I was in such a bad mood. If it were later in the day or I had a better
morning (or silence), then I'd be able to say something more intelligent or
honest about them, but I think that covers it okay. The only other thing I
want to tell you is that your last name is the same as my most recent, well,
ex, I guess. I wouldn't call her that, it was too fucked, but... Uh... You
wouldn't know an (we'll skip the name, that's between Matt and I), would you?
It's a big world and probably a dumb question, but get back to me with that,
and I'm sure I'll talk to you later.
--Mitch
P.S. I have to tell you this. I had one of the most erotic experiences of
my life in the back seat of my last car with some crazy girl I haven't seen
before than night or since, while listening to Lovelines. We both stopped,
mid-kiss, to say, "Kitten, oh yeah, oh yeah, Kitten, oh yeah, oh yeah," and
went back as if it never happened. I don't get what happened that night.
I met her at a record store at midnight, a crazy black haired, blue eyed,
chick, went to Perkins 'till three, talked about (what else) the Mats (she
was the first and only female big Mats fan I've met personally), was in my
car till four, and we spoke only briefly on the following Thursday when she
decided it was only going to be one night between us (how she figured this
out, I'll never know), then hung up. I guess I was supposed to have called
on Wednesday.
One more thing (I'm classic at this). The Replacements are, without
a doubt, my favorite band. I never really had one before them. As far as
what happened after the breakup, I still love Paul's stuff, too bad he can't
make it faster, and Chris Mars'. I've got all three of his albums and, as
soon as I get my letter off to him, I'll have the lyrics to all three as well.
Other bands I consider favorites... Nine Inch Nails (I know... I
know... but despite their teen following and Trent's 'tude, I still think
the Downward Spiral is one of the best albums ever), Tori Amos (aside from
her last album which I don't really like/it hasn't grown on me yet, see Nine
Inch Nails), REM, a band beyond justification, Michael Penn (I feel somewhat
alone with this one), Morphine (See REM, unbelievably great stuff), Billy
Joel (anyone besides me and that black haired girl from the record store
notice some similarities between Piano Man and Here Comes A Regular?), Freedy
Johnston, and Elvis Costello (who also said something bad on T.V.).
Still, no comparison to the Mats.
As far as Paul Westerberg, I've got 14 Songs + 2 UK EP's with some
live stuff. The only major Placemats release I don't yet have is Stink,
although it's all over the place (prolly why I haven't broken down and bought
it yet), or anything live except for what's on Westerberg's EPs (I'm sure
you're familiar with them, but for the record, Answering Machine, Can't Hardly
Wait, Left Of The Dial, and Another Girl, Another Planet -- also includes the
Singles cuts of Waiting for Somebody and Dyslexic Heart).
-- Laterz
Thursday July 18, 1996 1:47am
Well, now I've had the opportunity to hear Stink, Eventually, Bash
& Pop, Perfect (both When Squirrels Play Chicken and live -- I promised
them a review, so I'll be sure to hurry and get it to you -- BTW -- I told
them about this place and they were pretty excited to be getting the
publicity, but more about that later). I haven't heard Slim, but let's be
serious, Bob is the only guitarist, other than our beloved Paul, who
REALLY had the spirits of the Mats. Don't get me wrong, Slim looked great
with a cigarette, but come on. Who looked better in a dress? Be serious.
Okay, I will be then, just for a second. Bob's death has got to
be one of the most tragic deaths in music, it's certainly the most painful
in my experience. I got to hear a bit about his urn (which was made by
Chris Mars who has an art exhibit in New York going on this week) from a
couple of the guys in Perfect, and I'm at least consoled in knowing he's
remembered. As far as Slim goes, I didn't mean to knock him before. I
can't really, he played on my favorite album. I heard he's pretty bluesy
which sounds very cool, so I'll probably grab that next time I run across it.
Paul is my favorite musician and even though I don't think his
last album was his best, it was worth buying just to see him looking like
a million bucks on the back cover (at least one of us does). I don't
think Paul has landed on his style for the next decade. He's a diverse
guy, and I expect he'll improve with age as soon as he finds out what it
means to him. From what I've read it sounds as if he woke-up at thirty,
threw away the smokes, cut down on the drinking, and now he's trying to
figure out what's next. I believe he'll find it.
Wow, this is long. I'll wrap it up. Nine Inch Nails shows you in
all it's disgust, the kind of angry depression that can lead you to
suicide, and I get that. Tori Amos makes it sensual with a delicate voice
saying not so delicate things. Morphine is pure poetry. The Replacements
let you see it through a hole in the drapes, shit-faced drunk between
Duluth and Madison, and right there, within your fucking reach. That, in
all of my experience, is where it really is.
(and you thought you rambled...)
--Mitch
P.S. Doesn't this seem like more of a support group than a mailing list?
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 14:58:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gary William Wells
Subject: Me & the Mats
Well, I been readin this thing for a while, but I've finally decided to
write in my little thingy.
Back in about 1986, I was a young high school pup listening to mediocre
music without any focus at all. Then one day my best pal Bob handed me a
cassette of 'Hootenanny' and told me to give it a listen. Pow! I was
immediately blown away. Not long after that I stumbled upon a new release
called 'Pleased to Meet Me'.....Bang!!! There I go again. In the next
few minutes I completed my Replacements collection and was an avid fan. I
had finally discovered the real meaning of music. No other band has yet
to have that kind of effect on me and I don't know how any others ever
will. Come round the time of Don't Tell a Soul, me and Bob were dying to
see the Mats live. Next thing you know we have severe inner ear damage
from the three nights in a row we saw them live (Hollywood, Irvine, Santa
Barbara). The best three days of my life....... The rest has been a roller
coaster. The breakup. The mediocre solo efforts by Paul. The good stuff by
Tommy (I met him in LA after a solo gig and he wasn't a nice person -- he
wouldn't even look at me). Slim rocks! The total holy shit surprise works
of Chris Mars (my favorite of the post-mats releases). The death of Bob...
I'm still holding on to the old times, hoping that things will someday be as
new and exciting as the mid-eighties, "The Mats Years".
Gary
If anyone has any tapes to trade, I have a few and I want many more. I
have mine listed on my web page http://www.calpoly.edu/~gwells/
Please e-mail me!
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 00:17:32 -0700
From: Tommy Przybylinski
To: matt@novia.net
Matt,
I just started this internet stuff. The first thing I did was to find
anything I could regarding The Replacements. THANK YOU!!!
When Tommy Stinson & Perfect come to Chicago at Double Door on August 15, a
very good friend of mine's band will be one of the openers. They are Not
Rebecca and opening for Mr. Stinson is going to be one of the greatest nights
of their lives (mine too). Will we get to meet him? Well, we won't get our
hopes up.
Thank you so much for all the info. I can't explain how I felt when I saw
everything you have put together. Part of me is a little leary of finding
out I'm not the only one who appreciates this band for what they are. The
only people I've met who like The Replacements are Dave & Tom from Not
Rebecca. It's hard to describe the love I have for this band. Paul has
written so many things that describe my thoughts, feelings, emotions, just
different parts of my life. Anyway, I don't want to sound like a dork.
A little about me. I go by Tommy, 30, happily maried, one daughter 15 months
another one due end of Aug. A Cable Line Technician, grew up in a suburb
of Chicago. First Mats album was Pleased to Meet Me and probably my fav
(depending on the mood.) Thanks again for everything Matt, it's really
appreciated.
replaced@ix.netcom.com
Date: Fri, 2 Aug 1996 12:27:14 -0400 (EDT)
From: schauber@husc.harvard.edu (K Schauber)
Okay, okay, so I'm a newbie here. Here's my official statement of, you
know, where I stand and all.
I got into the Replacements in college about 10 years ago when a band I was
friends with started to cover Bastards of Young. I promptly bought Tim and
never looked back. (Where's that band now? Who the hell knows.) PW has
risen through the muck to become the absolute top-of-the-list of my heroes
(along with Tim Burton, but he deserves a different paragraph) and he's
been there for several years. If I ever actually met anybody that had
that gift he has, that way of twisting words, I'd... I don't know, drop
dead or marry them or something.
I saw the Replacements about 5 years ago when they opened for Elvis
Costello in Toronto and then I saw PW again just the other night here in
Boston. What a trip. Everybody, the whole audience singing along to
every song. It was a knockout. If the next night's gig hadn't been sold
out i would've made the trip to NYC -- guess I should have thought of that
sooner... I wasn't crazy about Eventually when it first came out, although
a mediocre record from PW is still better than a good record by most
anybody else; but since I saw the show this week I've listened to it more
and liked it better. My favorites? ummm... The Ledge. Things. Unsatisfied.
What else do I listen to? let's see... Lemonheads, Afghan Whigs, NIN, Jane's
Addiction... I was raised on big ol' dinosaur stuff, the Who and the Doors and
the Beatles and Zeppelin, and that stuff's all still with me.
Looking forward to dealing with the like-minded. Glad to have a forum.
Kerry.
From: Dave Bloom
Subject: my very first mailing list contribution (don't get excited, now)
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 16:12:49 -0500
So my roommate finally got a computer with internet access. What's the
first thing I do? Get on the Replacements mailing list.
I suppose my love for their music started my sophomore year of
high school or so when Don't Tell a Soul came out. Not an auspicious
beginning according to most Mats fans, but good enough. I was hooked from
the first time I heard "I'll Be You." I only caught em live in Milwaukee
twice on their last tour clean, sober, and professional-sounding. The
songs were still great, of course, but I watched that old Saturday Night
Live where they played "Bastards of Young" and "Kiss Me on the Bus" and
felt a little cheated.
Whether they were still viable as an exciting live band (which I
thought they were, anyway) or not, their music is one of the major reasons
I made it through high school. Nothing beat driving around with the
t-tops off, blasting "Sorry, Ma" or trying to explain to my friends why
the Replacements (or Husker Du or Sonic Youth) kicked their favorite
band's ass. Then Nirvana hit ... payoff, at last, I thought. These guys
were doing almost the exact same thing the Replacements were doing years
ago ... and not even quite as well. I'll take a Westerberg "beats pickin'
cotton and waiting to be forgotten" over a Cobain "oh, well, whatever,
nevermind..." anyday.
The problem? Nobody noticed. The press refused to recognize that
grunge was not a spontaneous phenomenon, but the result of an ongoing
underground (and not even that underground--we're not talking grindcore or
avant garde jazz) scene. Back to me -- I was pissed. I love some of the
music Pearl Jam and Nirvana put out, but that has a lot to do with where
it came from -- all back to our buddies, Paul, Tommy, Bob, Chris and Slim.
By the time the Mats broke up, I had no chance of convincing my friends
that they played great rock songs. Everyone had caught a sniff of
Westerberg's work on the Singles soundtrack (which I stumbled on the day
it came out and was shocked to find a really incredible album, Paul's pop
songs included) and wrote him off as a pop star. Imagine the impact he may
have made if "Favorite Thing" or "Bastards of Young" had been on the
soundtrack instead of "Dyslexic Heart" (Well, for one thing, I wouldn't
hear a mocking "na na na na na na na nanana" every time I mention the name
Paul Westerberg).
I have yet to be disappointed with anything Westerberg's put out
(wish I could say the same for Mars) and even enjoyed Bash and Pop. I'm
also curious about that compilation tape thing mentioned in the "welcome"
for this newsletter. I'm in a band (Twelve Step Failure, if anyone on the
list happens to be in the Oshkosh, WI area) and, though we sound about as
far away from the Replacements as you can get (we call our genre "Chunder"
for lack of a better idea), wouldn't mind getting any kind of distribution.
I missed Paul when he came to Milwaukee a few weeks ago. If anyone
knows if he's coming back around this way, let me know.
Dave Bloom
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 01:19:05 -0500 (CDT)
From: Donna S Cook
Hey, everyone. My name is Johnny Cook and I'm using my mother's telnet
account to reach you. I live in Nacagdoches Texas (don't try to pronounce
it) and am a 14 year old kid. Everyone calls me Junior Mint (please do).
Reason is becasue all my friends range from 14-30 something. Reason for
that is because all of my age thinks that everything before Nirvana sucks.
(not that Nirvana is bad). That includes the disliking of the Replacements.
I became aware of the Replacements through my brother. He had always
read reviews of them but never paid much attention. One day however, he
found a cassette of Let It Be in a bargain bin. (one of the greatest
albums of all time might I add) Well, He listened and so did I... you get
the picture.
I wold have to say that my favorite Replacements song is either Left of
the Dial or Nowhere is My Home. I've dreamed on many occasions about me by
myself playing a accoustic guitar in front of my entire class at graduation
and playing Here Comes A Regular. THAT WOULD KICK!!!!!!!!
Anyway, it's 1:30 am and I'm about to fall asleep on the keys and leave a
bunch of jibbirish on the screen.
Soon to be friend,
Junior Mint (Johnny)
Beatle Boy Farmer John
Mr. Bad Example
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 17:50:28 -0400
From: eric phillips
Hello. I'm a new list member, writing to let you know my Mats story.
My name is Eric, and I'm from North Canton, Ohio. I'm about an hour south
of Cleveland. 28, married, 4 stepkids, blah, blah, blah...
I got into the Replacements in about 1986. It was a few months after "Tim"
came out. I was a senior in high school, and had just read the article
proclaiming The Replacements as the "Hot" band in Rolling Stone. This was
back when when you had to have more than one album out to get on the
cover, so I really respected what RS said. I had a friend who's older
brother was in college, and he had an excellent record collection. Up
until that about the only thing that I listened to that wasn't played on
the radi o was R.E.M. He turned me on to a few bands that I just listen to
casually to now, like Husker Du, The Smiths, Billy Bragg, etc.... But the
band I really liked was The Replacements. He had "Let It Be" and "Tim".
The first time I heard them I thought that there was something wrong with
the turntable. I couldn't believe that a band would sound that weird on
purpose. It didn't take long for them to grow on me though, and soon I was
a Mats fan. In the 10 years since then, I've only been able to convert one
friend to listen to them.
I've seen The Replacements 3 times, and Paul solo once. Great concerts
all. I haven't seen any Paul dates in Cleveland yet, so I may not get to
see him this tour. I have missed 2 Replacements concerts in Cleveland
since becoming a fan. The first was when they were touring with Tom Petty
in a 22,000 seat venue. 2 strikes against that show. The second time I had
tickets for a show where they were opening for Elvis Costello. Well, is
there's anyone I like more than The Replacements. It's The King. On the
day of the show, I was sent on an emergency business trip to Grand Rapids,
Michigan. I've hated Michigan ever since.
One last thing. The Replacements were my first and last experience as a
groupie. My friends and I went outside the club at one Replacements show,
and decided to go around back and meet the band. We shared a beer with
Slim (Miller Lite), and followed the bus to the hotel. I went up and down
the elevator about 100 times trying to meet Paul. We confronted Chris
about where he might be, and he looked like he was scared to death of fans.
We gave up, went down to the bar, and saw Tommy and Slim. We bought them a
drink and went on our way. The whole ride home, I felt guilty as hell about
hounding them all around Cleveland. That was the last time for that.
Well, thanks for the list, and I hope that my WOW! address doesn't deter you
from replying. It's cheap, and my kids can use it. Bye!
______________________________________________________________________________
II. WESTERBERGIAN INFO
A. REVIEWS
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1996 12:11:34 +0000
From: "thomas, s"
Subject: some NoiZyland reviews
What the critics in New Zealand are saying about _Eventually_
First the good...
Waikato Times July 9
Ever heard of Paul Westerberg? Me neither. Ever heard of the Replacements?
Ahhh yes, they were one of America's seminal garage bands, ranking up
there with Husker Du and with substance habits up there with anyone.
Westerberg was the band's leader, the only one to have made a significant
noise since they broke up six years ago. Now a sober 36-year-old, he's
come in from the fringe, and Eventually may be the album to put him on a
larger map. While authoritative and accessible, it breaks enough rules to
be interesting and has enough lumps to ensure it isn't always a cushy
ride. Westerberg has an ear for great pop, writes with a poetic intimacy
and plays the guitar with sinewy cool. If there's any justice, he
shouldn't be an unheralded hero much longer.
He (Stefan Herrick) gave it 4 out of 5 stars!
Metro July 1996 by Colin Hogg
This former head guy with the Replacements really hit the mark with his
first solo album _14 Songs_ . It was a gem and this slow-to-arrive
follow-up isn't much worse. Softening perhaps with age, Westerberg waxes
a little more romantically than he did with his rowdy old barfly band, but
given his love of a good riff, his hunky bad-boy vocals and his
hammer-on-the-road sense of poetry, that's no problem at all- especially
on songs like "These Are The Days", "Love Untold" and "Mamadaddydid".
and the ugly...
Rip It Up July '96 by Greg Fleming
It's been three years since Westerberg's last unspectacularly titled
(unspectacular, really, in all ways) album 14 Songs. Well, the good news
is, he's bothered to put a name to these 13 - eventually (phewwww) - and it's
an air of shrugged shoulders, defeatism and disconnectedness which links
this fey (and newly sober) baker's dozen. But, Paul when you resort to
couplets like, 'You got call waitin'/It's so irritatin' (Ain't Got Me), we
just remember how much we miss the fire and humour and beauty of your best
stuff (it's not the same as, 'How can you say, 'I love you to an answering
machine?, now is it?). We learn, in "Once Around the Weekend", Paul now
stays at home every night - but he sings it with such longing ("I watch
myself fall apart / I watch the rabbits in my yard... I gotta sweep this
floor again..."), you suspect it ain't gonna last long. That song, the
hesitant rocker "Love Untold" and the tribute to late Replacement Bob
Stinson, "Good Day", are Westerberg at his best, and could break your
heart at paces. The rest are either substandard pub rock ("Stain yer
Blood" anyone?), or sound like forcefed pop ("These are the Days").
Please, next time just give him violins and pianos and guitars - for I can
think of no one better to write our elegies.
All reprinted without permission as usual.
As far as chart action and radio airplay goes, well, there is none. The
video for Love Untold is getting played quite a lot - at 2 a.m.!! But then
no-one ever made it big selling records in New Zealand. Think of me when
you see the man on tour.
Susy
"Billy Joel, is an asshole"
- Garageland
From: "Phil Clayton"
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 1996 11:24:08 +1200
Subject: Eventually Review
This is a review in Real Groove 'zine from New Zealand. It is reviewed by
Simon Vita on page 25 of the August 1996 issue. Real Groove is a national
giveaway 'zine.
"After the patchy 13 Songs (sic!), Eventually pulls Replacements mainman
Paul Westerberg back from the Rod Stewart waste of God-given talent bin.
This hopeless romantic looks in the mirror and isn't quite sure he likes
what he sees. It's as if we're listening in on the conversations Westerberg
is having with himself. He's tender on Love Untold and bristling on the
rockin' You've Had It With You. Songs are well-crafted and while the simple
yet effective piano playing on Good Day may well have been handled with more
precision by one of rock's well-groomed singer/songwriters, I doubt they
could have added to Westerberg's honesty and passion."
Have Fun
Phil Clayton
Date: 12 Jul 96 16:32:56 EDT
From: richard esquivil <76053.3123@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: BAM review
I'm deja-vuing here about how tough it is sometimes to continue a creative
career when the general perception is that you've lived past the prime of
your greatest vitality and influence. And the perception is generally
true. Westerberg's case is a little different, though, because where
Husker Du were much admired, the Replacements were much loved--and while
an aging guerrilla can be seen to have earned his period of restraint, an
aging scamp is just an unhappy reminder that time is passing and we're all
going down, eventually.
What keeps Westerberg worth hearing is that he's always been
(underneath it all) a very engaging sadsack; and now that he's settled
musically into a not-quite-generic guitar rock, it's his melancholy
verve--the lively self-pity of an innate outsider fizz ing with the need
to get across--that, well, gets him across. I mean, cut-by-cut, we've got
a lot of songs here that look like "oh-poor-me" stuff on paper but which
are redeemed by Westerberg's singing--the way that, reaching for the grand
romantic phras ing, mistrust tugs at his voice (e.g., "Love Untold")--and
his clean and sober but permanently bent attention to detail (e.g. the
cutesy/ironic backup vocals on "Ain't Got Me"; the mid-tempo subverting of
seriousness a la Freedy Johnston on "MamaDaddyDid"; the absurd clutch of
dead silence near the beginning of "Hide 'N' Seekin'").
Sometimes he goes flat, as on "Time Flies Tomorrow," which has too
much so-so imagery for a song designed to show off his poetic side, or
"Good Day," which it pains me to say since it's dedicated to the late Bob
Stinson. Westerberg isn't a great lyricist, just a sometimes clever one,
and the voluptuous dissonance of the guitars on "Angels Walk" (and I
haven't a clue as to what that song's about) speak more eloquently about
loss than the platitudinous "Good Day." But those damp spots are exceptions,
and this is a good record. Damn good. Especially when you consider what
a self-absorbed, obnoxious son-of-a-bitch he could have turned out to be.
--Richard C. Walls
B. INTERVIEWS
From: Wri10@aol.com
Date: Sat, 3 Aug 1996 18:36:48 -0400
Subject: Interview of Paul pre 6/30/96 Cinci show
"Here Comes A Regular"
Interview By: David Simutis
[From Cincinnati's "CityBeat", a free tabloid-style culture weekly,
June 27 - July 2 edn.]
A few years ago, "Spin" magazine declared that Paul Westerberg
embodied the spirit of Rock and Roll. His years leading the critical (but
not commercial) favorites, the Replacements, allowed him to grow as a
songwriter as well as growing up generally in the public eye.
The Replacements were a combination of Punk's initial velocity,
Country's lyricism, and a strong Pop sense of melody. That combination
was Grunge ten years before Kurt Cobain and company mined it for platinum.
More like Hank Williams and Merle Haggard than the Sex Pistols, the
Replacements' drunken antics were as legendary as their brilliant music.
Concerts were hit-or-miss, sometimes they were one of the greatest bands
of all time and sometimes they just played sloppy covers without a hint of
rehearsals or sobriety. Eventually the band broke up, and in 1995
founding guitarist Bob Stinson died after years of drug and alcohol abuse.
Westerberg pays tribute to Stinson on his new album, "Eventually",
with the song "Good Day". In typical Weterbergian style, the songwriter
quotes an old Replacements song ("Hold my life...") and adds to it, "A
good day is any day that you're alive." Westerberg's craftsmanship is
heartbreaking and genuine, a rare combination in a music industry where
adolescent levels of emotion are passed off as profound. "Eventually"
shows a Westerberg who seems more comfortable toning the volume and
turning it down. There's still the occasional up-tempo rocker, but the
overall atmosphere is subdued and magnificent.
"I don't think I've made a better one, and I know I've made
worse," Westerberg says of the new record in a recent phone interview. "I
think that I would be a fool to say it's my best record ever because I
think (the Replacements albums) "Pleased To Meet Me" and "Let It Be" were
great records, and a lot of people loved "Tim" as well. I think this is
as good as those, or on par with those. Different, but it is just as much
me. As far as the quality of the tunes and the way they hold together as
a cohesive unit, I think this is right up there with my best."
"Eventually" was started with producer Brendan O'Brien, who has
worked on records by Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots, among others. It
became apparent that he and Westerberg were not on the same wavelength.
Things came to a head and Westerberg went home to finish the record. Only
three songs on "Eventually" are from those sessions. How hard was it for
Westerberg to tell someone who has a string of platinum records on his
resume that it wasn't going to work?
"It was difficult because Brendan has a great deal of pride,
because he's so good," responds Westerberg. "The biggest problem was he
was quite busy and he had to move on to another thing. We had to make a
decision fast and I didn't want to be rushed. I had spent about two
years or so writing and I felt I needed to write more. I went home and
wrote "Mamadaddydid" and "Good Day" and stuff. It was tough because I
didn't have a manager at the time and so my lawyer was acting as my
manager. When they got a call from my lawyer they freaked. Things got
so blown out of proportion, but I've been saying more good things about
him every day since. He probably got the sweetest part of the deal."
A bonus to Replacements fans is that band's bassist Tommy Stinson
(he of big hair) guests on the song "Trumpet Clip," playing some honking
trombone. While this is not a full-blown reunion, at least the two proved
they can still work together.
"Work is not the word to use when you put Tommy and me together,"
jokes Westerberg. "He came down and added his smile and his hair and
exuberance to the whole affair. It's like old times. We'll always be
like that even when we're old, fat, bald men. There's a camaraderie
between the two of us. It's there for keeps."
Which leads us to the musicians (dubbed his "Paid Companions") who
are supporting Westerberg on his new tour. Give his reputation and
willingness to pull the rip chord (sic) at the first sign of trouble
onstage and dive into the aforementioned antics, how does Westerberg lead
his new band?
Westerberg laughs and says, "it is confusing to someone who
doesn't know my background." Keep in mind he told "Spin" he thought the
essence of Rock was mistakes. "I don't mind if wrong notes are hit," he
continues. "That's different than most band leaders. But I insist that
people mean the notes they're hitting, even if they're the wrong ones.
That sort of thing, you've either got it or you don't. I had to weed
through a few musicians before we got the lineup we've got now. Michael
Bland is the great addition on drums. His background being (that he
played in the New Power Generation with) Prince. You know, there's a hell
of a boss. Probably working for me is a lot easier in his mind."
The band will be doing some Replacements songs as well as a big
chunk of songs from the new album. There will not be any marathon
Springsteen-esque concerts, however. Even though someone complained the
show wasn't long enough, Westerberg isn't about to stretch it out.
"I only go with my own taste," says Westerberg. "There's nothing
that I want to see for two hours, I don't care who it is. I don't have
that much patience to sit. Maybe if Elvis came back to life I'd sit there
for two hours."
The man who can say more about love and loss in a song than almost
any of his peers and is back on the road, says he's just as happy to be
able to play every night. "It's like I never left. The worst part about
it is the unpacking and the packing of the suitcase every day. I really
dislike that."
That says more about what life is like as the "essence" of Rock
and Roll than a hundred magazine covers. Hopefully, Westerberg will be
carrying suitcases for a long time.
______________________________________________________________________________
III. PERFECTO
A. REVIEWS
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 13:06:22
From: "Stroud, Graham"
Hi Matt, hope all is well - here's a small feature that I found in this
week's Melody Maker (issue dated 24 Aug) written by a guy called Nick
Johnstone:
"MISTERS RIGHT"
"PERFECT are just that if you're a Replacements fan. Perfect are a tight
quartet with heartstopping guitar hooks, slice-of life-lyrics and a
healthy dose of who-gives-a-shit rock'n'roll. Live, they're awesome.
Singer/guitarist Tommy Stinson proudly declares "We've just made a great
record. We're just going to see what happens." He's coyly referring to
the number of major labels courting Perfect and, with huge anthems like
'Turnin' and 'Sometimes' up their sleeves, it's no wonder. Imagine The
Replacements circa 1985/1986 and you've got Perfect, the same mix of
volume and melancholy. No surprises there since Tommy and his brother,
Bob (who died last year of drink/drugs ), were co-founders of the 'Mats.
Paul Westerberg once said The Replacements stole Tommy's youth, and the
fall-out from this is tenderly addressed on 'Miss Self Esteem', a
beautiful cry for help from someone who grew up too fast, who's seen way
too much tragedy to be only 28. Perfect seem destined to have the hit
single The Mats never achieved. If you loved the Replacements then you'll
die if you don't hear Perfect.
I haven't heard them yet but they sound pretty good. Also does anyone out
there know anything about a band called GAME FACE?
All the best,
Graham Stroud
Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 16:46:10 +0000
From: Mitch Harris
Subject: PERFECT TOUR - PHOENIX - FIRST STOP
Perfect in Phoenix - First Stop
I'm no music critic. I'll tell you that right now. For a guy who
listens to music almost all the time I find it really difficult to talk
about. It's difficult me to tell you what a band sounds like, I can only
really tell you what I thought of them. Here's what I thought about
Perfect.
First, let me tell you it was a great show. In many ways the best
I'd ever been to. Perfect was flawless, and Enormous was bigger than big.
It was kind of unexpected too. I decided to make the 150 mile drive to
Phoenix the day before the show when I saw a tiny add in a free paper for
a hole in the wall bar hidden across from a full page add for The Cure.
Friday July 12 at the Mason Jar... Perfect featuring Tommy Stinson of
"The Replacements" with Jesus Chrysler. It was a questionable desision,
my truck has a couple of leaks and the streets of Phoenix get hot enough
to cook engines while driving around the block, but I called Tim, a really
great friend of mine and the only other Mats fan I know, and the next day
I made the trip still not expecting much.
The show started at nine, but I was at the door to the empty
building at three hoping there were still tickets available. It's really
awkward how guys you virtually idolize can be total unknowns to the rest
of the world. Tim and I got there a quarter before nine, we entered a bar
with only about 20 other people.
The first band called themselves "Feel" and sounded like your
typical grunge act with Axl Rose as a singer. I'm actually thankful of
that, because if it wasn't for a lead singer so easy to make fun of, and
groupies so just plain easy, it wouldn't have been much fun at all. I'm
not saying he sucked, and he really didn't look anything like the guy, but
he sounded so close to Axl Rose I'm certain all my neighbor kids would
have had conniptions.
Anyhow, the place started to fill up as "Feel" unloaded their
equipment and another band moved on to the music of Tool, the same album
played between every set. It was then that the schedule was announced.
At 10pm Enormous, at 11pm Perfect, at Midnight, Jesus Chrysler. Which
surprised me, I expected Perfect to close.
Enormous was surprisingly great (they're touring with perfect, so
get there a bit early, they're really worth it). They're led by a female
vocalist who plays bass (Eden), and include a great guitarist (Nate), who
sings a powerful backup, and the drummer (Joshua). Eden's vocal range was
really impressive, she moved well from soft and soothing vocals to an
angry yell smoothly, and the backup vocals by the guitarist worked really
well. The guitarist, by his own right, was something else. Worth seeing
the show for almost by himself. He's incredibly expressive, both with his
facial expressions and with his guitar playing. He was so with the
audience it was surprising, performing, joking, and jamming. He'd also
cut in between songs to say something clever or funny, once telling Marc
Solomon of Perfect, "Hey, what the fuck are you doing? I'm trying to make
a living here." when he was standing side-stage watching the band.
Overall the band was strong, solid, and played a diverse set. No two
songs sounded too much the same or too much like another band. I thought
they left a pretty hard act to follow. Between sets I had the opportunity
to tell Eden this who assured us that Perfect was really incredible.
Until I saw them I had a difficult time taking her word.
Perfect, as I mentioned in the first paragraph, was nearly
flawless. The audience could have used some work, but Tommy, from the
moment he walked in the building just had this presence. You guys who've
seen him in person know what I'm talking about. He looks like a rock
star. He's got the hair, the outfit almost no one else could get away
with, and the attitude. He got up on stage and told us fairly what to
expect, "Hi, we're Perfect."
I hadn't heard the EP when I heard the concert, so I have no
playlist, but they played for an hour and half, longer than they were
scheduled, with all new material and not so much as a lag. I told you,
I'm no critic, but I am writing a review, so I need some standards. My
standards are simple: are they fun? Fun is a general and very subjective
thing, it could mean everything from jumping and shaking wildly to falling
asleep, but it's what makes a night out worthwhile. The band was fun. A
whole lot of it. They kept me satisfied completely opening to close.
They were clean, tight, and Tommy's vocals were surprisingly good.
He sounds a bid tinny on the album, but he was as strong a lead singer as
I've seen in the bar, and between each set he had the comments that make a
live show so much cooler than an album. He joked about the mike-stand,
which wouldn't stay up for more than thirty seconds, eventually pointing
to a guy in the audience saying, "You look pretty fit to me, you think you
could hold this thing up?" He told this guy who was screaming he was
gonna bust a vessel, a term I'd never heard but a pretty amusing image
(you probably had to be there for that one).
After the show when the band was unloading their equipment, I
walked back looking for t-shirts or something of substance to say I was
there. The ticket I got was like a ticket from a church raffle and was
left completely blank. As I was wondering around looking for Eden again,
I ran into Tommy. This was an awkward moment for me. Normally I don't
have a problem meeting people, I just throw out my hand and say hello, but
I couldn't really do that. Not only did I get a little caught up in that
whole "it's a rock star" cheesy nervousness, but Tommy himself seemed a
bit shy and the last thing I wanted to do was come across like so many
other fans, acting like their best friend or long lost pal. It's no
wonder fame makes people so jaded and xenophobic. It's gotta be hard to
know who you know anymore.
I'm not sure what I said, something probably about as stupid as
what I was worried about saying (although I am certain it wasn't quite as
bad as "YOU KICK ASS" or anything like that).
He led me to backstage (the parking lot) where I started talking
to Eden of Enormous again. She and Nate (the guitarist) are married and
are doing what they always wanted to do. I assured them they were also
doing it well. They have an album coming out on A&M pretty soon called
"Busman's Holiday", and I expect it will be as good as their live show and
worth getting. We talked a bit more about music, writing, the
Replacements (they were both, of course, huge fans), and about the Skyway,
in which they were excited to be mentioned. They, in turn introduced me
to Robert, Perfect's Bassist.
I introduced (yeah, a lot of introductions--it's as odd as it
sounds, being introduced by virtual strangers to virtual strangers) Robert
to Tim, and he invited us to sit down. If I had taken notes I could
probably tell you some pretty cool stuff, but I'm wary of misquoting, so
I'll just run down a list of what we talked about.
1. How fucking hot it is in Phoenix during the day.
2. How fucking hot it is in Phoenix at night.
3. Meeting Tommy. He got into the band because he needed a place to
stay in LA and met, I can't remember, either Gersh or Marc, who he moved
in with. After touring with his first band, they split, and he heard
Tommy was looking for a bassist. They met, they played, that was it.
4. Hating music. He hates music but loves the bass. Gersh hates the
drums but loves the music (he was packing them up at the time).
5. The stupid van. They got a rental van to drive around the country
and on the very first leg of their trip, from LA to Phoenix, it broke
down twice. They had to wake up pretty earlier in the morning to bring
it in to either get it repaired or replaced, and they were worried they
wouldn't be able to make it to Albuquerque on time.
6. How much nicer it is in Flagstaff. Flagstaff, where I live, is at
7000 feet in the forest and is, on average, 25 degrees cooler than
Phoenix. Some of them wanted to visit, but they had to hurry to get to
Albuquerque.
7. Playing in Minneapolis, which he said was totally nuts. Perfect, a
band who couldn't sell out a hole in the wall in Phoenix, were treated
like what sounded like the biggest band since the Mats in Minneapolis.
He talked about meeting Slim and Chris, and having dinner at Tommy's
mom's house. He said it was all really quite surreal.
8. The Skyway. I started talking about this to Robert and he thought it
sounded really cool, then Gersh started talking about their website which
he sounded enthusiastic about (their website, for what it's worth, is
http://www.thedragonfly.com/perfect.html -- they're supposed to have
their e-mail address there, but whoever's designing the site hasn't
finished it yet). I don't really know why. It's not that impressive.
9. Jesus Chrysler (a local Phoenix band). Marc walked out holding a
"Jesus Chrysler - Supercar" T shirt, which if you get the pun, is
actually really funny. Then Robert and Gersh introduced Tim and I to
Marc and Tommy, and we talked about #1 and #2 almost exclusively.
That was pretty much it. I grabbed my T-shirts and their CD (I
couldn't get it in Flag so I was pretty happy) and took off.
NOW, IT'S ALL YOU CAN EAT!!! http://www.primenet.com/~maddog2
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 1996 04:57:20 -0400
From: Taxi Driver
Subject: Perfect in Hoboken
Tommy puts on a good show. They had some technical problems with a couple
of the monitors but they still sounded really good. They played about 17
or 18 songs (including "Crocodile Rock" during the encore). After the
show Tommy and the drummer were selling T-shirts and CD's and shit when
someone yelled "How much are the bumper stickers"? Tommy shrugged his
shoulders said "I dunno" and started handing them out. He also wanted to
know what an effervescent drinker was no one seemed to know. All in all
they were alot of fun and I'll definitely check them out at Mercury Lounge
next week. Paul will be in town at the same time hopefully they'll hook
up on stage and do a couple of songs at one of their shows but it's
doubtful. Just the hopeful ramblings of a Mats fan.
Patrick
From: Bard
Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements
Subject: Tommy Stinson and the Great Egg Attack of '96
Date: 24 Aug 1996 16:43:32 GMT
Hey out there. How's everyone been? I've been busy chasing a girl, so
please forgive my absence from the community. Maybe this story will make
it up to you.....
Last Friday night, Perfect played at the Emerson Theater in Indianapolis.
Sad...sad...sad. If there were 3 dozen people in the place, it would have
been a gift. And this on a Friday night. Many, many things to bitch about...
the Emerson is in a high-risk part of town. They don't serve booze there,
and someone forgot to pull out all the old movie-theater seats when they
turned the place into a music-venue, so you have to trip over those dinosaurs
trying to get down to the stage. (Ah...that whining felt so good...see?!...I
haven't changed a bit.)
Anyway, after drinking a few warm beers at some "how-do-they-stay-in-business"
pub next door, we arrived just in time to see Tommy setting up. He was
amiable and talkative...which seems to be Perfect's motif...lots of stage
banter with drunken males in the audience.
Tommy was wearing his bowling t-shirt or whatever...after what seemed like
a half hour of screwing around with equipment, Perfect finally got off the
ground. I haven't bought the CD yet, but I must agree with the consensus
in alt.music.replacements...these guys really rock live. I enjoyed them
thoroughly. Can't they translate that energy to something recorded? Rumor
is the CD is much lesser than the live show.
Anyway, my hearing was somehow permanently damaged at the two Westerberg
hows I saw a month or so ago, so I've had to be very careful ever since.
Tommy's band as very loud, and due to increasing pain levels, I had to
bail out a little early. Tommy seemed to be trying to put on a smile and a
good show despite the absence of an audience, so I give him credit for
"professionalism". (Did I say that?) I thought his new band played some
pretty damn good live stuff, and I hope they stick together for a while.
Tommy may not have Paul's gift for visceral songwriting, but he definitely
does have some good instincts for writing balls-to-the-wall rockers. I
still love that stuff.
Here's the best part: I get in the little Honda with my friend to head
back across the tracks, and about a mile down 10th Street, some inbreed
threw what must have been a carton of eggs at my car...the one with all
the windows down. Yep, my head, body, passenger, and cloth interior were
all victims of this assault. It's late, I can't find a car wash open,
...I'm covered in raw egg...getting too old for this stuff?...maybe. :)
So, my fondest memory of seeing Der Superbrat and Perfect will be the
three hours I spent scrubbing the egg-glue off the interior of my car.
Somehow, it does all make perfect sense, doesn't it?
Ah hell, it really didn't get me down. I'm in love, man...it'll take more
than a few chicken embryos to ruin my cheerful disposition. Although I
must say, I felt kind of weird driving by people in the neighborhood who
saw the car. "Uh...honey...this kid who lives down the block is obviously
into some kind of cult or something. There are human remains all over his
car. "
I give Perfect a thumbs up. Big fun. Wish my eardrums could have dealt
with the whole performance. Anyone know if Slim will be touring soon?
Good to "see" you all again. If you ever need to remove egg from your
car's interior, I highly recommend Eureka's Multipurpose Upholstery
Cleaner with Dupont Teflon. I don't know what the hell else is in there,
but the damn stuff works. Thank god for chemicals.
Battling creeping deafness,
Bard
*************************************************
"....love is deaf.....love is deaf...."
*************************************************
C. !!!
Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements
From: RWG@quarles.com
Subject: Tommy gets his tonsils out!
Date: 19 Aug 1996 18:03:08 GMT
I saw Tommy Stinson's new band Perfect the other night at a local club
here in Milwaukee. After the show he was signing posters and what not and
I asked him if he really had his tonsils taken out like the song implies.
He then opened his mouth and guess what? No tonsils!!!
Just thought someone out there might like this information.
_____________________________________________________________________________
IV. BRING THE LAMPSHADE
From: VJSY26B@prodigy.com (MS LORI A DOLQUEIST)
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 08:18:16, -0500
Ranjit and Anne are the couple who met on the Replacements subject on
Prodigy. They got married last summer, and as you can see from the e-mail,
are now the proud parents of a baby girl. Just thought I'd pass it on.
Lori
-------FORWARD, Original message follows-------
Date: 08/04 at 6:27 PM
FROM: RANJIT DIGHE
ID: JHAS51B
I can't describe all that's going through my head right now -- not
without taking a couple hours, anyway -- so I'll just go with the
bare facts -- I'm now a daddy! And Anne's now a mommy!!
Julia Anjali Pagano Dighe came into This Perfect World at about three
o'clock this afternoon. She's healthy, beautiful, and seven pounds,
eleven ounces. Anne's doing just fine and delivered without a hitch.
I just came in from smoking a dizzying cigar out in the front yard.
Peace,
rsd
Date: Sat, 27 Jul 96 12:10:56 -0500
From: egatz@slingshot.com (Ron Egatz)
Here's the skinny on what went down on Saturday, July 13, at the first
Skyway gathering of total strangers for no particular reason at all, i.e.,
this wasn't an album release party or big, national get-together.
You missed a lot of smokin' and drinkin' and five hardcore fans, plus a
nice friend of one Skywayer at a Manhattan dive where (I just learned)
part of "Crocodile Dundee" was filmed, if that helps anyone imagine the
atmosphere. We had one no-response (no-show), one lost-email address
(hence no-show), one cancellation from Chicago, and one cancellation from
Washington DC (John Anderson, who hosted the Eventually debut party a few
months ago).
For some reason Rolling Rock was the beer of choice, but there was some
cocktail mixin' and a nice cross-section of folks were there. Everyone was
in their twenties. One Skywayer is moving to Chicago soon, so she'll miss
out on future bashes, which the need/desire for were generally agreed to.
Another famous face on the Prodigy Mats-area is heading to our nation's
capitol to start practicing law. She will be terribly missed, especially
if she doesn't pass around her Mats compilation VHS tape before she goes.
One thing I think I brought up was that I personally have been a Mats fan
since 1983, and this was the first time I was ever able to communicate to
people in the same language. It was like good sex. Well, maybe not as
good, but after 13 years, it may have been close. This was agreed upon
instantly, and most of us spoke of trying to convert the unsaved for years
with little or no success.
Tickets were swapped, and plans meant for serious group-road tripping for
the shows in DC, Philly, New York, and Albany. Reports of how all this
turns out to follow.
This was one of those "you hadda be there" experiences, and this brief
synopsis can't convey the bonds felt talking about old shows, bootlegs,
etc., and I can only encourage other Skywayers to ask Matt Tomich to post
a similar request to have a gathering in your area. Some very fine
friendships were started July 13, and I think I've got some new comrades
to help me burn the stands to the ground.
Best,
Ron Egatz
______________________________________________________________________________
V. MISC
From: weiland@uclink2.berkeley.edu (Troy McClure)
Newsgroups: alt.music.replacements
Subject: Oh, and one more post for Troy...
Date: 25 Aug 1996 02:52:15 GMT
Thought I'd share with you all a rather amusing comic strip called
"Schlock n' Roll" which I found in a recent issue of BAM, a free music mag
in the Bay Area. Basically it's about a bar called "The Bitter Rock Stars
Bar and Grill: 'Cheers' It Ain't!" There are different sections of the
bar, and this is where it gets interesting (and relevant!):
bartender: And that's the Minneapolis room: the Gear Daddies, the
Suburbs, Trip Shakespeare... and here comes a regular: Paul Westerberg!
(enter a disgruntled caricature of Paul, swearing): G*@!! Another bad
review! If only the 'Mats had had a better manager we'd have been as big
as R.E.M.!
(enter frumpy grumpy Bob Mould): Everyone repeat after me: There'd never
have been a Nirvana without Husker Du! Come on! Say it!!
Paul: Chill out Bob. Just be glad you had Sugar. [clinging to a can of
non-alcoholic beer] Our time's passed and others are cashing in on our
sound. Now I know how Alex Chilton feels.
Bob: Seminal?
Paul: No... Unsatisfied!
--compliments of your friendly neighborhood Troy McClure
-------------------------------------------------------
[Scan than baby! - M@]
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 08:51:03 -0700
From: dumyhead@millennianet.com (Adam Gimbel)
Subject: Mats second coming: Tucker
I've only recently started to join mailing lists and I've wanted to share
this band w/Mats fans for a really, really long time. So, here was my
chance to join and tell everyone about Tucker.
I've gotta draw southern California list members to see my old roommate's
band, Tucker. They're from the Bay Area and are the second coming of the
Replacements. When their first demo was played in Berkeley's biggest and
best record store (Amoeba), one customer mistook it for Westerberg
outtakes and another thought it might be Wilco (before it their album was
released) IMHO they're the best unsigned band I've ever seen. They did a
show in San Diego last night that practically had me crying, their songs
are so beautiful. I brought my friend Tom, who toured as Alex Chilton's
guitarist and played 4 songs w/the 'Mats onstage once and he was
absolutely floored by these guys. They are also super nice.
I meant to post this earlier, so, my apologies to any San Diego list
members. I think they might be playing in Arizona too if anyone's
interested.
For those of you in LA, they're playing the Club Impala Tuesday night and
the Dragonfly on Thursday night. I'll be there for the Dragonfly show, so
please talk to a band member and find me!
Bye for now,
Adam
From: matt@novia.net (Matt Tomich)
Subject: The Kinks + The Mats = the same band?
Date: 30 Aug 96 21:51:12 EST
A copy of this article was sent to me by Shannon Armitage from the July
1996 issue of what appears to be a magazine called "MO" from Ohio.
(Completely reprinted without permission because I can't even read the name
of the 'zine on the freakin' page.)
THE KINKS' REPLACEMENTS
(from July 1996, _MA_, p. 66 "Roadkill")
To: A. Barnett, Department Supervisor
From: J. Baumann, Investigator
Re: Case #857733-55KREF
Ten Reasons Why The Kinks and The Replacements Are The Same Band
After seeing one Ray Davies, who has been indentified as the
singer/ songwriter/guitarist for the band The Kinks (henceforth referred
to as "The Kinks"), perform his one-man show in Cleveland, Ohio
(henceforth referred to as "Cleveland"), and having heard him recount some
of his earliest songs as well as tales from around his days growing up in
the hills around London, England, and being struck by the similarities
between his stories and the legend that surrounds the more contemporary
band The Replacements (henceforth referred to as "The Replacements"), I
have followed your directions and launched a formal inquiry into whether
or not the two bands are actually one and the same.
In the interest of time and space (and because I wouldn't really
know how to play a chord progression if it jumped up and bit me on the ass
- henceforth referred to as "my ass"), I merely submit the entire
collection of recorded works from these two bands. Even a casual fan
would likely admit there are some basic similarities in the structure of
many songs as written by boths bands. The Kinks and The Replacements both
understood the value of finding a hook to hang a song on, and offered a
mixture of pop sensibilities without being afraid to turn up the
amplifiers on the guitars.
With that assumption entered into the record, I will progress with
my report. By the way, did you know that President Kennedy had a
secretary named Lincoln, and President Lincoln had a secretary named
Kennedy? Just something to think about.
ITEM 1:
Both bands ingested incredible amounts of alcohol and drugs. While this
is hardly unique among rock'n'roll groups, both bands' habits and the
consequent effect on their live shows overshadowed the music. When they
began to perform shows almost sober, critics were actually upset.
ITEM 2:
In their early days, the Kinks messed with the mainstream's sensibilities
with their effeminate physical appearances, i.e. Dave Davies' long hair
down to his butt, thigh-high boots, jackets made of clear plastic and
Ray's slightly limp wrist on album covers. When the Replacements appeared
on Saturday Night Live, guitarist Bob Stinson took the stage in a dress;
actually a tame choice compared to the giant diapers he occasionally wore
while performing.
ITEM 3:
Both bands had, in their lineups, a set of brothers for whom the phrase
sibling rivalry didn't even begin to describe their relationship. For The
Kinks it was Ray and Dave Davies. They nearly decapitated each other with
flying cymbals, brained each other with basses and on the original
recording of "You Really Got Me," just before Dave plays one of the most
famous guitar solos in music history, he yells "fuck off" at his brother.
In the Replacements, it was Bob and Tommy Stinson. Tommy was even in high
school because he thought it would be a better way to pass time than
throwing rocks through windows. After Bob was kicked out of the band, he
and Tommy were mostly estranged until Bob's recent death.
ITEM 4:
Both bands managed to sabotage their career (yet increase their street
credibility) through their refusal to play along with what the industry
said they should do. When the Kinks first came to the United States and
"You Really Got Me" was starting to climb the charts, the band defied the
musicians' union and ended up being banned from the country, effectively
ending their chance for Beatles-esque success. In the mid to late 1980s,
as MTV became the marketing tool choice for record companies, the
Replacements refused to do videos or, at the least, to appear in them.
They then broke up before "alternative" became popular.
ITEM 5:
Both bands were fronted by great singer/songwriter/guitarists who tended
to write songs with narrative storylines and dealt with loners on the
fringe of society looking in. Ray Davies was lauded by his
contemporaries. Pete Townsend of The Who was often quoted as saying that
Davies should be the poet laureate of England and freely admitted ripping
off the Kinks for song ideas. Paul Westerberg has received similar praise
from the artists of today (even though the first words he sang as a solo
artist on the Singles soundtrack were "na na na na / na na na na na na").
And one only needs to listen to any commercial alternative radio station
for 15 minutes to see how imitated his songwriting is today. Also, both
often were on the receiving end of a rather shaggy haircut.
ITEM 6:
The Kinks record "20th Centry Man" ("I'm a paranoid, schizoid product of
the twentieth century."). The Replacements submit "Bastards of Young"
("We've got no war to name us.").
ITEM 7:
The Kinks record "Lola," a cross-dressing ditty that includes the line:
"She walks like a woman but talks like a man." The Replacements record
"Androgynous" and sing "Here comes Dick, he's wearing a dress. Here comes
Jane, you know she's sporting a chain."
ITEM 8:
As The Kinks fall out of favor with most radio programmers in the late
1980s, "Around the Dial" bemoans not being able to find a favorite disc
jockey on the radio any longer. The Replacements' "Left of the Dial"
aptly describes the only place on the radio their music could be found.
ITEM 9:
The Kinks reach out and touch someone with "Long Distance." ("Am I
talking to long distance? Can you put me through?"). The Replacements do
it with "Answering Machine" ("How do you say 'I love you' to an answering
machine?")
ITEM 10:
The Kinks' "Juke Box Music" starts off with: "Little lady plays her
favorite records on the juke box everyday / All day long she plays the
same old songs and she believes the things that they say." The
Replacements counter with "Achin' To Be" which teaches us, "She dances
alone at nightclubs, every old [sic] day of the week."
ADDENDUM:
Once I receive confirmation that #857733-55KREP can be considered "closed"
I will begin research on your next case. If you wish me to pursue case
#44567-96HBF: Why Hootie and the Blowfish are popular, it will cost you
more hazard pay than you can afford.
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 1996 15:24:58 -0400
From: hlc2@psu.edu (Heather L. Chakiris)
Subject: Re: I MET THE MATS (P.Brain)
Hey, P.Brain, will you marry me?
Heather
______________________________________________________________________________
VI. COPIABLES
Date: 29 Aug 96 22:52:20 EDT
From: Renee Esquivil <76053.3123@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Mats B-sides?
Can anyone help me get B-sides like "If Only You Were Lonely," "Nowhere Is My
Home," etc.? And is The Shit Hits the Fans (which I've only seen once in a
record store) actually worth owning?
I've already bought the tickets for the show at the Fillmore Sept. 13th.
Can't wait (hardly wa-aaait!).
Renee
Date: 07 Aug 96 15:18:10 EDT
From: Lake Jeff
Subject: Humble Classified Request
WANTED: The CD single (or tape of "Love Untold," I am a sucker for B-
sides.) I also REALLY need the piano music for "Runaway Wind." If anyone
out there has these items or knows how I can get them, PLEASE let me know
as soon as possible. I am kind of in time crunch for the piano music for
"Runaway Wind." Please E-Mail me at the address above.
Thanks in advance, Jeff.
[Were they any B-sides to "Love Untold"? - M@]
Date: Wed, 07 Aug 96 16:41:25 EDT
From: FA09000
Subject: New PW boots
Matt,
I just wanted to drop a line to see if we, as a list, have been working
to catalog any new Paul boots that have popped up as a result of his great
summer tour. I know that there should be at least two FM boots out there
(Chicago and Atlanta). I was wondering if people could send in info about
any shows that have been taped (audio or video) detailing date, place,
running time, and quality. I am especially interested in getting copies of
the two NYC Irving Plaza shows. If anyone taped them and has good sounding
copies, e-mail me at FA09@Iona.EDU. I am willing to trade or send
tapes. I'm also interested to know if anyone taped the Tower Records in
store appearence in NYC.
Thanks
Kevin
P.S. If anyone taped Paul's 7/4 Chicago show off FM, did you by any
chance tape Wilco's set too? If so, I'm interested in getting a copy.
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 12:56:21 -0500 (CDT)
From: Sumant Ranji
Subject: live tape appeal
I'm looking for live tapes of these shows:
Replacements -- 8/10/89, Poplar Creek Theater, Chicago
6/20/91, Great Woods, MA
Paul Westerberg -- 8/11/93, Club Babyhead, Providence RI
The Poplar Creek gig is on the FAQ, so I know *someone* has it, but who?
I have about 25 'Mats shows to trade, as well as a lot of Bob Mould/Husker
Du related stuff and a few other bands. Please help me out!
Thanks,
Sumant
From: Bilner@aol.com
Date: Sat, 24 Aug 1996 14:43:47 -0400
Subject: Westerberg in LA
I just got tix for Paul at the El Rey Theater in LA on 9-14. I will be DATing
it for trade purposes. Is anyone else taping the tour? Anyone know of any FM
broadcasts planned this time?
Bill
Date: Mon, 26 Aug 1996 22:45:13 -0400
From: mikem@magicnet.net (Mike Monello)
Subject: Demos & Rarities Page Update!
It's another update of THE REPLACEMENTS DEMOS AND RARITIES PAGE, committed
to preaching the Gospel of the Mats 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Due to the large number of requests for better quality files, I'm now
using Quicktime Audio. These files are significantly larger than the Real
Audio files, and they do not stream, however if you're using Netscape 3.0
or a compatible browser they will play inline.
What does all this mean to you, the slobbering Mats fanatic, you ask?
Quality over quantity.
Those of you craving a bit more scrappy 'tude from Mr. Westerberg than
EVENTUALLY delivered will appreciate these righteous tunes recorded live
at Zoogies in Minneapolis on April 23, 1981.
Drugs (1.5 Megs)
I'm In Trouble (1.5 Megs)
Junior's Got A Gun (1.5 Megs)
Your Town (1.5 Megs)
As always, head on over to http://www.magicnet.net/~mikem and check it out!
Sincerely,
Mike M.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE REPLACEMENTS DEMOS AND RARITIES PAGE! http://www.magicnet.net/~mikem
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAVE THE STAR-LITE DRIVE-IN! http://www.enzian.org/starlite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
fin.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The //Skyway\\: The Replacements Mailing List (digest only)
To subscribe, send a letter saying "subscribe skyway" to "majordomo@novia.net"
http://www.novia.net/~matt/sky/skyway.html
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What the hell is this drunk shit?"
- Camp Thoreau-in-Vermont camper
Jake Rabinbach's (15)
first reaction to hearing The Replacements